- Use sunlight to provide hot water
- Save on your energy bills
- Reduce your carbon footprint
- Government grants available
Solar Thermal Panels use sunlight to provide hot water for your home. They can help you to save on your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint. Grants and incentives are also on offer from the government that encourage their take-up.
A typical Solar Thermal system consists of panels or ‘collectors’ attached to your roof that absorb heat from the sun. This is then transferred to the water in a hot water cylinder via a cylinder coil. An immersion element or secondary coil and boiler ensure you always have the hot water you need.
The requirement for a hot water cylinder means that a Solar Thermal system is more suited to homes that feature a Regular or System Boiler than to those homes with a Combi Boilers where a hot water cylinder is not already installed.
Planning permission is not normally required for a domestic system unless your home is a listed building or in a conservation area. If in doubt however you should check with your local planning authority before work starts.
Save on your energy bills
Once installed a Solar Thermal system helps you to save on your energy bills by reducing the amount of energy you have to buy-in to provide hot water. The table identifies the savings that the Energy Saving Trust estimates will typically be made depending on the hot water system currently installed.
| Current system | Savings per year |
|---|---|
| Gas | £60 |
| Oil | £90 |
| Coal | £80 |
| Electricity | £70 |
| LPG | £130 |
Find out more about these figures.
Government grants
Installing a Solar Thermal system may qualify you for the government’s Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. Successful applicants to this scheme who have installed a Solar Thermal system are eligible for a grant in the form of a regular series of payments over 7 years.
Depending on the size of the household the Energy Savings Trust estimates these payments could be worth between £190 – £460 per year.
